Pregnancy

Sleep Like a Baby

new mama wellness, fourth trimester, sleep habits, nursing, baby sleep
| Jess G.
Ahhh, the old phrase- “sleep like a baby” is NOT TRUE! My baby will not sleep! it should be “sleep like a husband” because he is the only one getting all the sleep around here these days.
Its awesome swapping war stories with other mamas. I find myself having hilarious conversations with complete strangers on the playground, in line at the grocery store or at a random birthday party. The thread that bonds all of us is motherhood… being a mom is one of those gigs that forces you to get your shit together even when you are not ready at all! But the conversations I have are interesting because its incredible how fast you can connect with another human being on these universal moments in motherhood.

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Tips for having an all natural, non-medicated labor + birth

| Jess G.

I do not like hospitals. I do not like going to the doctor. I literally get high blood pressure when I go for a routine check up. I used to dread getting my blood pressure taken for fear of it being a high number (and inevitably my anxiety and stress made it high). Anyway, when I got pregnant with my first baby I was super excited but then immediately scared about all the visits to the doctor, the needles, the poking + prodding and most of all the thought of having a c-section at the end of the whole thing. I was determined from the onset to have a natural labor and birth. Continue reading →

Should you worry about ZIKA on your honeymoon?

new mama, wellness, pregnancy, zika virus, honeymoon, travel plans
| Jess G.
I have so many friends at the stage of life who are getting married and considering starting their family. Our generation already has cultural barriers that push our child-bearing years further and further into the future… we want to get our careers on track, we want to take one more awesome backpacking trip, we want to meet the perfect person and date and marry them and buy a house and then get pregnant… or we can’t get pregnant and need to invest in fertility treatments and now we have to worry about a tiny mosquito that happens to reside in all the best sunny beach destinations. Isn’t there enough standing between us and our fertility?! Since I have a background in public health I decided to nerd out a little and do some investigating on behalf of my friends who will be travelling to areas with the potential to come into contact with Zika. Here’s some general info to consider:

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Getting labor started… naturally!

pregnancy, induce labor naturally, new mama wellness, 39 weeks pregnant, baby bump
| Jess G.
I am 39 weeks pregnant with my second baby. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this baby to come for sooooo long. It’s definitely a different feeling from the first time. I didn’t have expectations the first pregnancy and when I went into labor I had no idea how it would start and how long it would last- so I really didn’t think about it. Now all I can do is think about when it will start!!

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Third Trimester: The home stretch!

| Jess G.
I am now officially a pregnant lady who makes grunting noises while putting on her snow boots! The belly is large and in charge and there is no mistaking that I am carrying a growing human. Aaron has a rule that he never ever makes a comment to a pregnant woman about her pregnancy even if its blatantly obvious because “you never know”! At this stage I am often approached by complete strangers who want to know “when are you due” or “do you know what your having” or “I can tell by the way you’re carrying that its a boy” or the classic tummy rub. I don’t mind the attention. I find it endearing when older men like my dad’s age want to talk about babies… you can tell they are grandpas or soon to be grandpas and are truly fascinated by the joy a new life brings to the world.

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The First Trimester

Pregnancy, first trimester, what to expect when you're expecting, new mama wellness
Image | | Jess G.
Finding out I was pregnant the first time was quite the surprise. That first time I held the news I was pregnant fiercely close to my heart, waiting until the doctor confirmed the result at my 8 week appointment before I told anyone other than Aaron. For 8 whole weeks I walked around knowing that my life was going to change forever. It’s was a surreal feeling knowing that that my body was making a baby and the forces of nature were carrying out the process of creation. I couldn’t stop it! Cells were dividing. I was no longer just one person, I was a woman with a life in my womb. I wasn’t alone. It was crazy!

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Is hiring a doula worth it?

is hiring a doula worth it, labor, pregnancy,
| Jess G.
The short answer, Hell yes. My experience giving birth was significantly enhanced by having a doula by my side. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term- the word “doula” comes from the ancient Greek meaning “a woman who serves” and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth.

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